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Book review

When you say Porsche, you say 911 - don't you? Yet the 911 itself is not a car, but a designation covering a range of cars back to the 1960s - a range which has evolved, and which its customers refused to let die, despite the engineering drawbacks of its layout.

Inevitably, this book is partly devoted to the way in which generations of engineers have worked at overcoming those drawbacks. But it is also about a wealth of other engineering programmes, some of which made it to production and others which, for various intriguing reasons, didn't.

From the still-born Volkswagen EA266, through the ill-starred 914 and the front engined 924 and 928, to the modern Cayenne, and much else besides - it is all discussed here.

Over the years, Porsche has developed a reputation for technical innovation and for using cutting-edge technology in its road cars. This book travels chronologically through Porsche's technical history with each chapter starting with a crucial point in the company's evolution.

From Dr. Porsche's preparation of high-powered prototype Beetles for competition purposes, to the technology incorporated in the latest Cayenne and Carrera GT models, as well as the latest 2005-model 911, the reader is taken on a fascinating journey through the Porsche archives, revealing many previously unknown behind-the-scenes details of the company's engineering story.